Considering All the Factors Above, Overall, Star Wars Has Been Damaging to Science Fiction Readers, Writers, and Moviegoers

You’ve seen the films, read the charges, and carefully analyzed the arguments on both sides. Now it’s up to you to determine the overall impact of Star Wars on science fiction culture.

Discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Considering All the Factors Above, Overall, Star Wars Has Been Damaging to Science Fiction Readers, Writers, and Moviegoers

You’ve seen the films, read the charges, and carefully analyzed the arguments on both sides. Now it’s up to you to determine the overall impact of Star Wars on science fiction culture.

Discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The Plot Holes and Logical Gaps in Star Wars Make It Ill-Suited for an Intelligent Viewer

Nick Mamatas begins his essay with a few specific complaints: each episode after Episode IV “renders the previous films increasingly nonsensical,” the prequel trilogy makes the original trilogy “entirely incoherent,” and lastly, in general, “science fiction and fantasy films are unbearably stupid.”

Don DeBrandt argues that while Star Wars may be filled to the brim with gaping plot holes, in the end “it doesn’t matter.” He instead says that the real significance Star Wars has is its impact on the “imagination . . . not on intellect.”

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments …

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The Plot Holes and Logical Gaps in Star Wars Make It Ill-Suited for an Intelligent Viewer

Nick Mamatas begins his essay with a few specific complaints: each episode after Episode IV “renders the previous films increasingly nonsensical,” the prequel trilogy makes the original trilogy “entirely incoherent,” and lastly, in general, “science fiction and fantasy films are unbearably stupid.”

Don DeBrandt argues that while Star Wars may be filled to the brim with gaping plot holes, in the end “it doesn’t matter.” He instead says that the real significance Star Wars has is its impact on the “imagination . . . not on intellect.”

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Women in Star Wars Are Portrayed as Fundamentally Weak

Jeanne Cavelos writes that both Princess Leia and Queen Amidala initially appear to be heroic, compelling characters, however throughout their respective trilogies their power slips away in favor of the male characters’ development. She also writes that many elements of the female characters’ plots are “told, not shown,” as their stories were believed to be “unimportant to the larger plot.”

Bill Spangler makes the point that in A New Hope, the male characters simply “tag along on [Leia’s] adventure.” He also believes that Amidala’s “fallibility adds depth to her character.”

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing …

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Women in Star Wars Are Portrayed as Fundamentally Weak

Jeanne Cavelos writes that both Princess Leia and Queen Amidala initially appear to be heroic, compelling characters, however throughout their respective trilogies their power slips away in favor of the male characters’ development. She also writes that many elements of the female characters’ plots are “told, not shown,” as their stories were believed to be “unimportant to the larger plot.”

Bill Spangler makes the point that in A New Hope, the male characters simply “tag along on [Leia’s] adventure.” He also believes that Amidala’s “fallibility adds depth to her character.”

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Star Wars Pretends to Be Science Fiction, but Is Really Fantasy

Ken Wharton begins his essay by distinguishing between fantasy and science fiction. He claims that in real science fiction, asking a series of “whys” will eventually “lead to something we know about the real world.” He then puts forward the idea that the Force (an undefined, magical “energy field,” distinct from the “life-forms” that are midichlorians) is what truly makes Star Wars a fantasy film. Bruce Bethke adds in that the films (at least the three prequels) seem more like classic anime, where the human characters are simply “not …

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Star Wars Pretends to Be Science Fiction, but Is Really Fantasy

Ken Wharton begins his essay by distinguishing between fantasy and science fiction. He claims that in real science fiction, asking a series of “whys” will eventually “lead to something we know about the real world.” He then puts forward the idea that the Force (an undefined, magical “energy field,” distinct from the “life-forms” that are midichlorians) is what truly makes Star Wars a fantasy film. Bruce Bethke adds in that the films (at least the three prequels) seem more like classic anime, where the human characters are simply “not important.”

Robert A. Metzger brushes aside several “sci-fi blunders” in the Star Wars films, arguing that errors hearing a spacecraft explode and being able to see laser beams are simply necessary to “bring people into the theater,” and are typical of many sci-fi movies. He then goes on to argue that many of the other issues in Star Wars, like lightsabers and parsecs, actually “reveal the true nature of our simulated reality.” Finally, Adam Roberts argues that “there are other forms of SF than the dull and the weighty,” and Star Wars simply fits into that “other” category.

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Star Wars Has Dumbed Down the Perception of Science Fiction in the Popular Imagination

Tanya Huff claims that Star Wars has inaccurately become “a shorthand definition for science fiction.” She states that the movie tie-ins have “wiped out any literary merit science fiction had gained in the minds of the general public” and reminds us there are now “adults, with children of their own, who have never lived in a world where science fiction wasn’t reeling under the weight of Star Wars.”

Richard Garfinkle counters that “Star Wars has given [SF writers] useful shorthand,” making their books more accessible to the wider public and allowing the authors more “room to work” beyond basic …

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Star Wars Has Dumbed Down the Perception of Science Fiction in the Popular Imagination

Tanya Huff claims that Star Wars has inaccurately become “a shorthand definition for science fiction.” She states that the movie tie-ins have “wiped out any literary merit science fiction had gained in the minds of the general public” and reminds us there are now “adults, with children of their own, who have never lived in a world where science fiction wasn’t reeling under the weight of Star Wars.”

Richard Garfinkle counters that “Star Wars has given [SF writers] useful shorthand,” making their books more accessible to the wider public and allowing the authors more “room to work” beyond basic explanations.

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Science Fiction Filmmaking Has Been Reduced by Star Wars to Poorly Written Special Effects Extravaganzas

John G.Hemry‘s thoughts on Star Wars’ impact on filmmaking can be easily summed up by the title of his essay, “Millions for Special Effects, Not One Cent for Writers.” In particular, Hemry attacks the prequel trilogy, alleging that through all the “wooden acting and clichéd dialogue” the only thing that holds the audience’s interest is special effects.

Bruce Bethke counters that after Star Wars was released in 1977 “science fiction experienced a great renaissance” and the genre finally received the recognition it deserved. Bethke also commends Lucas for reintroducing the hero, following a period of …

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Science Fiction Filmmaking Has Been Reduced by Star Wars to Poorly Written Special Effects Extravaganzas

John G.Hemry‘s thoughts on Star Wars’ impact on filmmaking can be easily summed up by the title of his essay, “Millions for Special Effects, Not One Cent for Writers.” In particular, Hemry attacks the prequel trilogy, alleging that through all the “wooden acting and clichéd dialogue” the only thing that holds the audience’s interest is special effects.

Bruce Bethke counters that after Star Wars was released in 1977 “science fiction experienced a great renaissance” and the genre finally received the recognition it deserved. Bethke also commends Lucas for reintroducing the hero, following a period of cinema in which “scripts were full of cynical, violent and foulmouthed antiheros.”

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Star Wars Novels Are Poor Substitutes for Real Science Fiction and Are Driving Real SF off the Shelves

Lou Anders argues for the prosecution that popular Star Wars novels are being mislabeled in bookstores everywhere as “science fiction,” when in fact they’re actually just fantasy stories set in space. He argues that the “serious” SF literature is often ignored and over-looked, as the public associates SF with “childish escapism,” and that publishers are less and less inclined to give promising new authors the time to develop their audiences. Lastly, he claims that the novelizations teach other writers to be lazy …

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Star Wars Novels Are Poor Substitutes for Real Science Fiction and Are Driving Real SF off the Shelves

Lou Anders argues for the prosecution that popular Star Wars novels are being mislabeled in bookstores everywhere as “science fiction,” when in fact they’re actually just fantasy stories set in space. He argues that the “serious” SF literature is often ignored and over-looked, as the public associates SF with “childish escapism,” and that publishers are less and less inclined to give promising new authors the time to develop their audiences. Lastly, he claims that the novelizations teach other writers to be lazy in their descriptions and character development.

Laura Resnick, though not a fan of the novels herself, reminds us that “all art is subjective.” Karen Traviss, an original SF author turned Star Wars writer, describes her transformation as something like “moving from doing technical drawings to creating impressionist paintings with vivid colors.” Rather than restricting her, she said, writing tie-ins actually challenged her to expand her thinking and skill set. Finally, Kristine Kathryn Rusch argues that all SF should take a note from the adventure-filled fantasy of Star Wars and perhaps move away from more traditional “realism,” which she claims is “murdering the genre.”

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

John C. Wright asserts that the films make no efforts to address “metaphysics, spiritual powers, martyrdom, ethics, fate, salvation miracles, and life after death,” which thereby means that there is no “real religion” in Star Wars. He also claims that the so-called “ethics” of the Force in Star Wars are simply “what the script forces,” and have no significance beyond moving the plot.

Scott Lynch makes no claims about the “religiosity” of Star Wars, but instead focuses his argument on ethics. He argues that the original and prequel trilogies show two parallel paths of corruption and redemption, with …

John C. Wright asserts that the films make no efforts to address “metaphysics, spiritual powers, martyrdom, ethics, fate, salvation miracles, and life after death,” which thereby means that there is no “real religion” in Star Wars. He also claims that the so-called “ethics” of the Force in Star Wars are simply “what the script forces,” and have no significance beyond moving the plot.

Scott Lynch makes no claims about the “religiosity” of Star Wars, but instead focuses his argument on ethics. He argues that the original and prequel trilogies show two parallel paths of corruption and redemption, with the path that Luke Skywalker takes serving as the “moral” road. Lynch even goes so far as to describe Obi-Wan and Yoda as villains that “Luke must confront and overcome,” and he does this by rejecting their commands to disregard his emotions. Instead, when Luke senses his loved ones are in danger, he immediately rushes to help, no matter the consequences.

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The Politics of Star Wars Are Anti-Democratic and Elitist

David Brin challenges whether Star Wars promotes anything resembling democracy, given that a chosen few are left to decide what’s right under both the Rebellion and the Empire. He declares that, in the Star Wars universe, “the right to rule is inherited” and that those “elites have an inherent right to arbitrary rule.”

Keith R.A. DeCandido claims that Star Wars is about fighting the elites rather than trying to uphold them, and that the real message preached is “light side, dark side, it doesn’t matter: power corrupts.” He ends his testimony by stating that “George Lucas has shown us that the elites …

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The Politics of Star Wars Are Anti-Democratic and Elitist

David Brin challenges whether Star Wars promotes anything resembling democracy, given that a chosen few are left to decide what’s right under both the Rebellion and the Empire. He declares that, in the Star Wars universe, “the right to rule is inherited” and that those “elites have an inherent right to arbitrary rule.”

Keith R.A. DeCandido claims that Star Wars is about fighting the elites rather than trying to uphold them, and that the real message preached is “light side, dark side, it doesn’t matter: power corrupts.” He ends his testimony by stating that “George Lucas has shown us that the elites . . . are the ones who lead us to ruin.”

Now it’s your turn—discuss this charge in the comments below by drawing from your own Star Wars expertise and utilizing new evidence from The Force Awakens. And be sure to always be respectful of your fellow Star Wars fans!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

]]>http://www.smartpopbooks.com/star-wars-on-trial-charge-1/feed/1We Can’t Get Enough of Fifty Shades of Greyhttp://www.smartpopbooks.com/we-cant-get-enough-of-fifty-shades-of-grey/
http://www.smartpopbooks.com/we-cant-get-enough-of-fifty-shades-of-grey/#respondTue, 28 Apr 2015 17:52:11 +0000http://www.smartpopbooks.com/smartpop/?p=11494The movie may have been released in February, but we still can’t get over Fifty Shades of Grey.

Our examination of E.L. James’s Fifty Shades trilogy in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey has been an invaluable resource for us when diving into the (unavoidable) conversations surrounding the trilogy and the movie’s release.

]]>The movie may have been released in February, but we still can’t get over Fifty Shades of Grey.

Our examination of E.L. James’s Fifty Shades trilogy in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey has been an invaluable resource for us when diving into the (unavoidable) conversations surrounding the trilogy and the movie’s release.

eBook cover we redesigned for Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey in conjunction with the movie release!

Within the Fifty Shades of Pop Culture section of Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey, there is an essay called “Making Fifty Shades into Cinema” by Angela Edwards, which you can read for free here. In Edwards’ essay from 2012, she discusses how she thought the film might be made in the future, possible problems that could arise (e.g. graphic sex scenes), casting, and how to portray Christian’s glamorous life—years before the movie was released. This essay (and the others) is a great way to compare and contrast the movie to the book, as well as its successes and shortcomings in translating from literature to the big screen.

Other essays include “A Requested Evaluation of the Mastery of Christian Grey,” “My Inner Goddess,” “When Fifty was Fic,” “Is Fifty Shades Erotica?,” and beyond. For a full list of the essays and contributors in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey, click here.